Thermometer attachment for incubators.



PATENTED AUG. 13, 1907.

T. W. BI GKEL. THERMOMBTER ATTACHMENT FOR INGUBATORS.

APPLIOATION FILE-D MAR. 25, 1907.

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TRAVIS W. BIOKEL, OF ALVA, OKLAHOMA TERRITORY.

THERMOMETER ATTACI-HVIENT FOR INCUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 13, 1907.

Application filed March 25, 1907. Serial No. 364.535.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, TRAVIS W. BroKEL, a citizen of the United States, aresident of Alva, in the county of Woods, in the Territory of Oklahoma,have invented a Thermometer Attachment for Incubators, of which thefollowing is a specification.

It is indispensable to success in the use of incubators that apractically even temperature shall be maintained during the incubatingperiod, and for this purpose I have found by experiments that thethermometer should be kept in close proximity to, and, in fact for thebest results, in actual contact with the eggs. By such contact theoperator is able to determine the exact temperature. I have, therefore,devised and constructed a tray or holder for the eggs, and a support orholder for the thermometer whereby the bulb of the latter may be held incontact with certain of the eggs.

The details of construction, arrangement, and combination of partsconstituting my invention are hereinafter described, and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a tray oregg holder and the thermometer and support connected therewith. Fig. 2is a vertical section of the apparatus. Fig. 3 is a side view, a portionof the tray or egg-holder being broken away. Fig. 4 is a detail sectionillustrating the means for detachably connecting the thermometer supportwith the egg-tray or holder. Fig. 5 is an inverted plan view of thelower portion of the thermometer and holder or support therefor. Fig. 6is a horizontal section of the lower portion of the thermometer supporttogether with a portion of the egg tray or holder shown in the plan.

The tray or egg-holder proper A, is constructed of sheet metal havingits sides B turned down to form supports that in practice rest on theincubator screen, as shown in Fig. 2, so that the surface of the tray israised about one half inch from the screen. Elliptical holes are cut inthe top of this tray as represented at E, F, the small ends of theopening being next to the same side of the tray. At the point betweensuch end portions of the openings I provide two flanges or lips C andDsee Fig. 4the same being spaced from each other and so arranged as tobe adapted to receive between them the flanges G and D vformed on thelower end of the thermometer support or holder J. The latter is formedof flanged metal plate provided with graduations, and the thermometerproper K is attached thereto so as to extend over the graduations in theusual way. The eggs are placed in the elliptical openings as indicatedin Figs. 1, 2, and 3, with their small ends pointed in the samedirection, that is to say, toward the side where the thermometer isattached. The thermometer holder .T is adjusted in place by shoving theflanges O, D, under the flanges G and H on the tray A, whereby the bulbof the thermometer is brought into contact with the eggs as shown inFigs. 1 and 3. The bulb is therefore always kept in contact with theeggs during the whole incubating period, and thereby the operator isable to ascertain the existing temperature, which should always bebetween 103 and 104 F.

For the purpose of holding the tray A on the screen D so that it will bepractically movable, I provide one side of the tray with a horizontalprojecting joint I which is passed through a portion of the screen asindicated in Fig. 2. By this means the tray is held so that it willbecome displaced while the thermometer is held in contact with the eggsso that it will not be displaced in moving the egg tray or by thehatching chicks. Thus the only care required on the part of the operatorconsists in placing the attachment at the first, since it will thenremain in proper position during the hatch.

What I claim is:

1. The improved incubator attachment comprising a tray having openingsfor reception and support of eggs. and flanges arranged on the outerside thereof adjacent to an opening, and a thermometer attachmentcomprising a thermometer proper and a plate to which it is secured. saidplate having base flanges adapted to fit under the flanges of the trayand thereby supporting the thermometer in the required position.substantially as described.

2. The combination with an incubator screen of an egg support, havingholes in its top for reception of eggs and side flanges projectingdownward, one side flange being provided with a point I adapted forinsertion in the con volutions of the screen, as shown and described.

TRAVIS \V. BICKIGL.

Witnesses \VALLACE M. BICKEL, EARL A. \VINns.

